Satan is satisfied with all our religious activity as long as it does not move us to break down those gates to rescue the perishing. Therefore, at the top of my agenda these days has been the question: how can I get myself and the church awake to a wartime mentality? Is there some way to break the spell? Picture a great army asleep with mighty weapons in their limp hands and armor in their tents. Picture them sleeping in the fields all around one of Satan’s strongholds. Suddenly, an eyelid blinks, a head lifts and looks around. Then another and another. A strange awakening spreads through the field. Muscles are flexed. Armor fitted. Swords sharpened. Eyes meet with silent excitement. The light in the commander’s tent goes on, the generals gather and the strategy for the attack is laid.
—John Piper, Desiring God
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
—Matthew 25:13
IT WAS ABOUT 0530 at Camp Victory, a military base camp surrounding Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. I was running near the perimeter wall for my morning physical training. The wall was between twelve and fifteen feet high with guard towers spaced evenly along the wall. I ran almost every morning I was in camp. It was good for me, both physically and mentally.
But something was different on this particular morning in 2005. It was eerily quiet and nobody else was around. Besides that, I felt that somebody or something was watching me. I could not shake it off.
From out of nowhere, our battalion S1 (the personnel administrator) came running toward me, agitated, his face white as a ghost.
“Chaplain,” he said, “get out of here! There’s a sniper on the minaret on the other side of the wall.”
Just then a bullet struck the palm tree right above us, and birds scattered from its branches. About the same time, two U.S. Marine Corps AH-1 Cobra helicopters flew over the wall and lit up that minaret with devastating fire. It was right out of a war movie scene, only I was living it.
Snipers routinely use deception as part of their strategy of taking you out. They want you to think all is well and then they kill you. And that sniper had it out for me. I was an easy target—alone, running the perimeter, no one else around me.
I look back at that episode and wonder what would have happened if our battalion S1 had not warned me, or if God had not protected me. I was not battle ready that morning, and it almost cost me my life. I had thought all was well and, despite my misgivings, took no precautions to check out if anything was different on my run. I had never thought that my life might end in the safety and confidence of being inside the wire.
Reasons for Becoming Battle Ready
The number-one priority in the U.S. Army is being battle ready. No other priority comes close. None. Readiness means that the Army is prepared to fight any conflict, anytime, anywhere in the world—at a moment’s notice. If it were not, it would most certainly lose wars. In fact, there are specified units in the Army called Rapid Deployment Forces (RDFs) that can be “wheels up” (en route by aircraft) within eighteen hours. The soldiers in those units carry smartphones constantly in case of recall.
The Bible tells us that a time is coming on this earth of great distress, persecution, upheaval in the social order, and mass deception. As a result, we must be ready and vigilant.
A friend of mine, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Ken Dahl, former commanding general at IMCOM, says that just as soldiers need to be ready to fight and win the nation’s wars, today’s believers need to be prepared for global upheaval and the return of Christ. “If you’re searching for strength,” he says, “given what you’re going to face, prepare yourself for it, recognizing that this is going to be one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, thing you’ve ever faced.”1
Just as military forces train for specific engagements with the enemy, believers need to do the same. Before we look at what it takes to be battle ready in the end times, we need to understand why we need to get prepared.
The Bible says that the rise of the Antichrist will come about because of religious, financial and social chaos, prompting humanity to clamor for a savior or messiah. With the advent of modern technologies, along with biblical prophecies that describe our modern world in remarkable detail, we should not be surprised if the Antichrist exploits our technological tools to gain control of humanity.
A BBC article quotes Rossiya 1, Patriarch Kirill, primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, as saying this on Russian state television:
“The Antichrist is the person who will be at the head of the worldwide web, controlling all of humankind,” he said. “Every time you use your gadget, whether you like it or not, whether you turn on your location or not, somebody can find out exactly where you are, exactly what your interests are and exactly what you are scared of.”2
The National Security Agency tool called “XKeyscore” collects “nearly everything a user does on the internet,” and NSA analysts need no prior authorization to search what you have done on the web. The technology sweeps up “emails, social media and browsing history.” A database tracks each keystroke. NSA training materials describe it as their “widest-reaching” online intelligence gathering tool ever.3
The rise of Adolf Hitler prior to World War II is a prime example of how things might look. Under Hitler, millions of Jewish people, along with others deemed subhuman (Untermensch) by Nazi Germany, suffered severe persecution and genocide. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, America’s official memorial to the Holocaust, estimates the total number of people murdered at seventeen million, including six million Jews and eleven million others.4
As horrific as it was, the Holocaust will pale in comparison to the Antichrist’s reign of terror, with an astounding array of technologies at the fingertips of the “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) to control humanity and terminate anyone who dissents. Today, even before his arrival on the world stage, the persecution and genocide of Christians are worse “than at any time in history,” according to a study by a Roman Catholic organization, Aid to the Church in Need.5
This study, and another one by Open Doors, found that a record 245 million Christians are experiencing severe persecution worldwide. Many of them are tortured, raped, imprisoned, beheaded, crucified. Others wind up losing their livelihoods, savings and homes due to persecution.6 So persecution and martyrdom are not just a thing of the past. They are not just happening on the other side of the world. They are spreading all over the globe, and the Bible tells us it is going to get profoundly worse.
One of the reasons we need to become battle ready, then, is not only that we are already experiencing persecution and satanic oppression and attacks on many levels, but that coming end-times events beckon us to go to the next level of readiness.
The Battle of the Ages
We look around today and think we are fighting a political or social battle. But while it may look like that at first glance, it is much deeper. In truth, sinister warfare is taking place in the unseen world. This book is about how best to prepare yourself for this conflict—the invisible war in which you are already involved. This is the battle of the ages.
The book of Daniel gives us a glimpse into the reality of spiritual warfare:
Then [the angel] continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.”
Daniel 10:12–13
The angel speaking to Daniel fought with the “king of Persia” (today’s Iran) for three weeks. It was only when one of the chief angels, the archangel Michael, came to help him that he broke through enemy lines to get to Daniel. Gabriel had been resisted not by a human being, but by what is referred to by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:12 as one of the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” The dark lord of Persia is still there today, causing havoc and war in the Middle East.
When Christ returns on His white horse with the armies of heaven, the Bible tells us that Jesus’ followers will be part of the last great battle—the Battle of Armageddon. Revelation 19:11–16 describes the scene:
I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
According to the book of Revelation, Armageddon (Har-Megiddo in Hebrew, or “hill of Megiddo”) is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies for the final battle. Armageddon is in the Jezreel Valley, or the valley of Megiddo, in northern Israel. The valley is approximately twenty miles long by fourteen miles wide—or 280 square miles. From about 3000 BC to the early twentieth century, it was a strategic pass on major international military and trade routes and the location of many decisive battles that changed the course of history.
Recently an oil and gas company discovered “an oil bonanza” in the area “with the potential of billions of barrels.” The chief geologist said the oil layer is 350 meters thick—ten times larger than the average oil find worldwide. This may explain why this valley will be the center of the final conflict.
But Armageddon is a much broader term symbolizing a worldwide war culminating in the return of Christ.7 The Battle of Armageddon is the culmination of all battles and wars in human history. It involves the return of our Lord to destroy the Antichrist, the false prophet and the kings of the earth, along with their armies, as described in Revelation 19:19–21:
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
When our adversary, Satan, tried to usurp God’s position and authority in heaven, God cast him out of the divine realm along with one-third of the angels who rebelled with him. (We will talk about this in more detail in the next chapter.) Ever since this revolt, there has been intense, sustained conflict between the forces of heaven and hell.
Raising Up End-Times Warriors
What the Church needs more than anything today is an army of supernatural, Bible-believing, Holy Spirit–empowered people of God who are ready and willing to turn a generation upside down for Jesus and do mighty exploits, as templated in the New Testament.
The early Church, as described in the book of Acts, did turn the ancient world upside down, and today’s end-times warriors of Christ need to reclaim the sound theology and radical zeal of the first-century Christians. The early Church revolutionized the ancient world in one generation. One of the reasons they were able to do this is that they carried with them the urgency of the biblical message about “the great and dreadful day of the LORD” (Joel 2:31).
The same urgency is trumpeted by Isaiah, Joel, Zephaniah and other Old Testament prophets, who said that people must repent because the Day of the Lord was near. Jesus said essentially the same thing: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17).
The primary message of the end times is one of urgency—urgency to proclaim the good news, to complete the Great Commission (Jesus’ last command to take the Gospel to all the world), to be holy, and to be ready at any moment to stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
The early believers also had a biblical theology of suffering and even martyrdom. This theology is consistent throughout Scripture. Paul wrote, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). And Jesus said: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. . . . Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:18, 20).
But today most of the modern Church proclaims a gospel of self-betterment. “It’s a very self-focused gospel,” says a friend we deeply respect, author and filmmaker Joel Richardson, “which has all but lost a proper theology of suffering, a theology of the cross, a theology of martyrdom.” He continues:
The early Church had an urgency and genuine theology of laying their lives down every day. So it’s essential to reclaim the message of the end times, because the Scriptures say it’s going to be a time of unparalleled tribulation for the saints—both for Israel and for those in Revelation 12 who keep the commandments of Jesus. If this is the final generation that will face this great time of trial, it’s essential that we reclaim the theology and life and character of the early Church.8
Where Are the Bonhoeffers?
Just as the world was not prepared for World War II less than a century ago, neither are we prepared for what the Bible warns is on the horizon.
In the twentieth century, the Church in Germany under the rule of Adolf Hitler was not ready for what was about to happen. Believers witnessed the rise of Hitler, who like many other dictators throughout history embodied the “spirit of the antichrist” (1 John 4:3). Sadly, many churches joined him in support of what they mistakenly believed would be a new and better day in Germany—which at the time was in the throes of the Great Depression.
Will the same thing occur again in our time? If we don’t prepare now, we are doomed to repeat history. German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the lone voices that stood against the Third Reich—and he paid for it with his life.
Where are the Bonhoeffers of our time? Let them arise and warn the world of the dark agenda gaining support worldwide.
This book is a forewarning to prepare for the most cataclysmic and profound event in human experience—the end of history when everything described in the book of Revelation occurs and Christ returns. Matthew 24:36 tells us that that no one knows “that day or hour,” except the Father; but Jesus told us to be ready and watch for signs of His return.
As the world sees what many Bible scholars believe is an unparalleled convergence and acceleration in end-times signs, the Church is not, for the most part, talking about them or addressing what is happening. Few pastors today give sermons on Bible prophecy and the Second Coming of Christ.
The great irony is that, even as polls show that most evangelical Christians believe end-times events are now unfolding, the Church is mostly silent. In the final chapter of the human story, the Bible tells us that Satan will lead “the whole world astray.” In Revelation 12:7–9 the apostle John saw the following in a vision:
Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was cast down and his angels with him.
As the Day of the Lord (see Joel 2:31 and Acts 2:20) approaches, believers must learn what the Bible has to say about how to stand firm in the last days and not be swept away by the evil tide. Maintaining the status quo will be a critical, if not fatal, mistake. Our intensity in seeking the Kingdom of God and His supernatural favor must increase exponentially if we are to be effective in the last days.
We are good, for the most part, at winning people to Christ, but we do a poor job of transforming new believers into authentic disciples of Jesus. If the Church is to pass through the coming storm, we need to infuse people with the intensity and focus of the first-century believers—making not just converts but radical followers of Jesus. Far too many of us are asleep at the wheel as events predicted in the Bible unfold all around us.
Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1–13 has something important to say. In that story five virgins took extra oil for their lamps as they waited for the arrival of the bridegroom, but the other five did not. And when he finally arrived, later than expected, those five who were unprepared found their lamps going out because they did not have enough oil.
My friend U.S. Army Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) Scott Koeman, who served with me in the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq, says about this parable:
They are sleeping, their lamps are burning, but they don’t have enough oil—they are not taking Christ and His calling seriously. In the parable the bridegroom says, “Away from me. I don’t know you.” Those are hard words, but there are many churches today that don’t preach the hard truth. They are preaching the easy, broad path: “It’s all about you and your wealth, what blessings you’re receiving, and how the Lord wants to bless you.” The emphasis is not on preparedness and a relationship with Christ, which are reflected by the five virgins who had enough oil and were ready for the coming of the bridegroom.9
The Church must do what the military does in basic training: convert civilians into soldiers. On the first day of basic training, a civilian becomes a soldier. But it takes months of intense military training to transform that individual into a combat-ready soldier who can help propel the military to victory against its enemies.
Some will say, “I am being taken up in the Rapture of the Church; I have nothing to worry about”—referring to when Jesus Christ returns to “rapture” believers, removing them instantaneously and supernaturally from the world. But if you lived in the days before, during and after World War II in Germany, you would not say that. No one can guarantee we will escape the coming distress of the last days.
An End-Times Model
A battle-ready believer is described in Acts 13:22: “God testified concerning [David]: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’” A battle-ready believer uses David as his or her template. The Bible’s greatest warrior is an incredible example of how to prepare for and engage in battle.
Battle-ready believers are willing to obey and follow hard after God in every area of life. They are team-centered (not me-centered), mission-oriented and Spirit-filled. They are prayer warriors, trained in the weapons of spiritual warfare, gifted and empowered, disciplined and courageous, ready to do battle with the forces of this present darkness.
Let’s look at the life of King David through the lens of modern Army tactics so we, too, can learn how to prepare for battle.
David became a warrior by the seemingly insignificant things he did every day: practicing the basics, being disciplined, obeying his father, being faithful in his responsibilities, training as Saul’s armor-bearer, and most of all, doing God’s will. King David was involved in both physical and spiritual conflict during his life.
As a shepherd, David protected his flock and fought off bears and lions with only a staff or club. He made sure his sheep had food and water and moved them to greener pastures when necessary. He still tended the flock for his father when his brothers went off to battle. Those things taught David discipline, helped him succeed when he fought his first major battle—the one with Goliath—and were instrumental in his journey from shepherd to warrior to king.
Throughout this book we will learn from David how to become a warrior of God in the last days. Imperfect as he was, he was still a man of great military savvy. The principles he used are studied today in many branches of military service.
Primarily, David exhibited great courage when he stood up to Goliath, a vitally important characteristic for soldiers and warriors of God. Although he was a youth, and though the whole army behind him was terrified, he stood up against the giant with confidence. David shouted across the battlefield, “I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45).
The Church today can learn much from David, who trusted in God and as a result was fearless. He was willing to take on a giant.
Where are the Davids of this generation who will arise and confront the Goliaths of our time because they have confidence in the Lord and are not afraid of losing their own lives? They are not afraid of losing anything because they know that the battle belongs to the Lord.
Becoming Battle Ready
Readiness is a top priority not only of the Army but also of the entire military. Here is what former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral J. J. Clark said about future military readiness:
The world is dangerous and unpredictable. Our Navy routinely operates in tough places, and that’s as it should be. We work and operate in an atmosphere of risk and we should not shy away from it. We should be credible and we should be ready. We must constantly challenge the assumptions that we face on a daily basis and adapt to an ever-changing world. . . . It is my conviction that tomorrow’s world will be more violent than the past.10
Given what the military foresees and the Bible tells us the future holds, we need to refocus on being battle ready. To do this we will, in the next chapter, get to know our enemy better.
The Bible tells us that the power of evil will continue to multiply in strength and numbers in the end times. So we must learn to identify the enemy behind the human powers and initiatives. If you cannot identify your enemy, you will lose every time. In the military you learn that you cannot defeat an enemy you do not know or understand. To address this, we need strategies and tactics to implement our plan. As we hear the hoofbeats of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse approaching, knowing and understanding our real enemy will be key.
Just as the Army’s term readiness is the key driver in preparing soldiers for combat, we, too, need to apply military principles to Christian readiness to become battle-ready believers. The bullet points below compare principles of Army readiness and Christian readiness for you to apply to your own life.
MLITARY READINESS PRINCIPLES
BELIEVER’S READINESS PRINCIPLES
STRATEGIC SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
Here are five practical action steps to help you become battle ready: